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Wednesday 4 April 2012

It's Called Misdirection


Penn and Teller are two of my favourite entertainers of all time.  They make me laugh, which is so desperately needed these days, and they are incredibly good magicians to boot.  In the below video (I apologise for the quality, if anyone has a better version, please post it in the comments), Penn and Teller explain the art of sleight of hand, particularly misdirection.

So, while you're watching this video, consider how our elected politicians use these very same techniques, albeit a little differently, to deceive us on a daily basis.  It's called misdirection -- look over here, so that you fail to notice what is happening right in front of your eyes.  Magicians know that people can only focus on one thing at a time, so they exploit our visual fallibility to entertain.  Politicians exploit us by using the same techniques as magicians.  Think about it, and come to your own conclusions.  Don't believe it just because I'm saying it.  Look for yourself.  You don't need me to tell you this.


Penn and Teller Explain Sleight of Hand UPDATE: I've changed the video to a different one because the other would play automatically. If you want to see the original video, click the link above.